


Cessez le feu

by Imaed



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Ishbal | Ishval, Ishval Civil War, M/M, at war, messing with the timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-15 07:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11801754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaed/pseuds/Imaed
Summary: Ed is conscripted for the Ishval war a month after his 16th birthday. The coutdown is set, he has a year to find a way to keep his brother out of this.One of his option ? Make sure the war is over in less than a year.No pressure.





	1. Two by two hands of blue

**Author's Note:**

> After I bingewatched FMA for the third or fourth time in a row, I had to do something about it. And then, this idea came to me out of nowhere (at the grocery store actually) so... I have a few days in front of me and a strong motivation. Let's see where this will take us.

They came for him in the morning.

To be fair, he has been waiting for them for a month; since the conscription edict who incidentally happened to be also his birthday. Granny Pinako had cried that day. Ed wasn't sure he had ever see her cry before, even when they came for her son and his wife. Winry and Al had been furious but it hadn't been a surprise for any of them. The East was a mess, it seemed the only solution the brass had found was to send younger soldier. Ed was only sixteen but it was deemed enough by the high ranking official. 

When they came, they didn't smile nor try to be sympathetic. They knocked at the door, checked his identity and told him he had to come with them. 

Winry had cried, Al had stared at them with a sort of frightening determination and Granny had been her usual charming self. Ed had stayed silent, not said a word, not even to say goodbye. (He regrets it now, first because it was a dick move, and because it reminds him of how the bastard left.)

They escorted him to cart half full of young males. Nobody talked to him; they all knew why they were here, Ed could recognize most of them from the neighborhood. They stayed silent and waited to be deliver as cannon fodders. 

Most of what happened on the battlefield wasn't disclosed in the newspapers but there was enough to know it was ugly and bloody. Nobody was winning, and even if Amestria's army was, Ed was pitying them such a victory. Winry's parents had died so early in the game, a year and a half after the beginning. Killed by a Ishval had said the newspaper. There was a picture, the two bodies in the middle of brown skin corpses. The army hadn't even call to tell the next of kin. It didn't take a genius to understand they weren't afflicted by the loss of two doctors who helped Ishvalans. 

It was soon after that their Mom...

Ed closed his eyes and tried to think about something else.

Al had been suspiciously silent during the operation. They had done nothing but fight since the day Ed receive the letter from the army's administration. Al had refused to let his brother go on his own. Of course he had been. Ed would have done the same if their role had been reversed. Ed hoped beyond measure, that Al wasn't going to try enrolling sooner than before his sixteen birthday. 

It would be stupid because there was no assurance they would be stationed at the same location. Besides, Ed the small and impossible hope that the war would end before Al' sixteen birthday. Unfortunately it was in less than a year. 

He had to make sure Al would not be a part of this war. If he had to finish it on his own then so be it. 

Even if he had no idea how.


	2. Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal

They have a month of training before going on the battlefield; like it will make a difference. All the new recruits are gathered in a school-like building but with fences surrounding the facilities. 

Amenities are Spartan and the newcomers have to maintain them. It pisses Ed the very first time he is told that, he is old enough to keep his room (his bed really) clean and doesn't need a nosy piece of shit who calls himself his instructor to appreciate if the sheets are wrinkled or not. He has slept in those sheets of course they are wrinkle. He is the only one sleeping in them, so really it is his own business if they are wrinkled. 

Basically, military school is a pain. 

Ed couldn't care less about the early morning and the harsh training regime; he had way worse with Teacher. What put him on edge are the instructors. They maintain an unhealthy competition between the recruits. Who is the fittest? Who is the strongest ? Who is the instructor's favorite? Every little detail is a subject of competition. It should be a stupid strategy; they are -after all- suppose to be brother-in-arms, or whatever the crap they are feeding them, at the end of their little retreat. It doesn't take Ed too long to realize that putting competition into the mix allows the instructors to keep their authority on most of the newcomers. They use their power on one little shit -like Ed for example - and make sure the fear they distilled in the other will be pear-pressuring enough so nobody will protest when they will ask debilitating tasks. 

Ed has never been good with authority. Alphonse would say it is an understatement. 

He sees how the other watches him, cautious and a bit distrustful. The few of them from Risembool had known from the beginning he would cause troubles. But after a third collective punishment even them had started to turn on him.

"Why don't you just do what you are told" asked one of them. 

"It's not exactly my forte." he had answered cheekily.

"Next time we will make you regret it."

"Well too bad deepshit, I won't stop because you gang on me. Besides, you are on the wrong side. They are the bad guys here. Not me."

"They are only doing this because you make them."

So yeah, not a fun conversation. 

At the end of the second week, he was hated by all of his contemporaries under the watchful (and amused) eyes of the instructors. 

It was then that the 'Ishvalan course' began. In Ed's opinion ? Bullshits and propaganda. Since when a handful of supertrained warriors would attempted to invade Amestris? Okay, and really, stronger than an standard human? Their red eyes allowing to see through your soul? That was just pushing the realm of reality. He didn't exactly censor his thought on the matter. 

After a day or two of punishments - and really they only bore the name of punishments but in truth they were just chores they would have to do anyway even if Ed had behave - some of the stronger kids cornered him. Ed didn't want to fight them. He was taunted; about his masculinity (what the fusk), about his brother (which was just mean, Alphonse was the gentlest soul on earth), about his Mom (and really it should have been recorded how Ed kept his calm all this time). Really he should have kick their ass just to make them stop their pathetic attempt. 

"You are so full of shit, it's probably why you are so short."

And that was it, the coup de grace. He kicked four ass into the morning and went back in his dorm without a scratch. But with several officers surrounding his bed, staring dumbly at his stash of arrays. 

Shit. It had took a moment to find a place to hide them. 

"Elric" called one of them "explains this! Where did you find these? Who did you stole them from?"

Still high on the adrenaline, he could not stop the rage to fully take on. Carelessly he answered he was the author of them. 

"And if you want a demonstration I would be happy to provide it by burying you in your own shit."

Ed could guess this was his last hour in the military academy. He had no idea where he would end after that. But if they wanted him to put him in prison for just a mild case of bad behavior he wouldn't leave without a scream and good fight.

What happened instead was at once intriguing and horrifying.

"You are now transferred to the National Alchemist program. Effective immediately. Pack your bag."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who noticed I'm being a bit facetious with the titles. Coming from a show that I love. Firefly of course !


	3. We will rule over all this land, and we will call it... "This Land.".

It started with the rumors.

"Hey have you heard about this new guy? I heard he stopped a full attack on the day he arrived. Buried twelve Ishvals in a clap of hand."

Roy heard about the new batch of alchemist that arrived last spring. Everybody heard about them. Not because they are especially noticeable but because they are the first trained directly by the Army. It is been said in the brass that they are the tools they need to end this conflict. Roy doesn't know if he has to be horrified or relieved. Using humans weapons to kill humans. 

It seems so insane now.

"I heard he slaughter a family during the night."

Great, thought Roy. More bloodthirsty. Like they hadn't enough in their plate with Kimblee. Hughes is curious though. But to be honest Hughes is always curious about something. Roy doesn't understand how the man didn't end in Intelligence. He seems to be born for it. 

Anyway, this new alchemist intrigues him and he goes fish for more information. he comes back later a bit too pale for his usual carnation - also for the fucking desert. It takes Roy a while to talk about it, but he is not disappointed. "He is only sixteen" says Hughes. "The Chalk Alchemist."

"Chalk is not very intimidating" says Roy, determined to make it sounds less daunting. There is a reason why most alchemist are given a name. It's because when they introduce themselves every ones knows what their knowledge is about. Chalk is a rather unusual name though. What kind of damage could someone do with chalk?

"They brought kinds on a battlefield. How could this not end in a disaster?"

"How could this be worse than the conscript boys?" asks Roy.

"Conscripts with alchemy." stressed Hughes.

Roy shuddered. Okay this could be worse. 

The brass had called for the country to the aid. They had brought almost a thousand of barely trained boys -just out of childhood. They came to their commanding officer eager to please and to respect the order they were taught at the academy. But the Ishval war was nothing one could call ordered. Already unbalanced, the cultural chock was the last straw for most of the kids. They were told about monster who assault on Amestris and found out terrifies families with children and injured people. 

The defection rate came so high, the brass had to suspend the firing squad for they would kill their own platoon of men. 

So a disaster or two later, they were directly send on first line and killed by the renegades. 

"What else do you know about him?"

"He doesn't seems to be a very friendly person. But he is not surrounded by the most smiling part of the brass either."

"That is never a good mix" stated Roy.

"I also heard he is some kind of genius, seems to be proficient in everything."

"Conscript are supposed to be young; 16 or so. Alchemy takes time to learn, it's probably just some soldiers who amplified what he can really do."

"I will take your word for it."

~

What Roy first thought when he saw the new guy was "What kind of degenerate would send a _boy_ on a war of this magnitude?". His second thoughts were less charitable.

"Are you going to be a waste of space and so called alchemic talent like your counterparts or are you going to be useful?" had asked the boy the second he had glanced at him. 

Never say that Edward Eric was bad at introducing himself. From the very moment you met the boy one wold be overwelmed by his condescension and selfishness.

Of course being brainwash in an isolated military base with nothing to learn but alchemy and Amestrian's superiority discourse was not the ideal surrounding for a malleable mind. But what an asshole !

The only bright side was, he really was a genius, and not only with war alchemy. The boy - he couldn't be much older than 16 - was a gold mine of information ; molecular chemistry, astro physics, practical mathematics. If it was science related, the boy had heard about it. 

It was hard for Roy to both hate and admire him; Edward was impossible to ignore. 

Of course, he was not really different when on the field. The first time the went out together - in the same platoon - Roy had to burn another part of the -almost crumbling - city while Edward had levelled it and burried the Ishvalan alive... For fuck sake who does that ???

Roy had hesitated at the last time, he always did lately. Edward had stared at him in disgust and had practically done his job. 

"If you can't do your job right, don't do it at all" the boy had said when returning to their camp. 

~

[To be continued]


	4. Sweetie, we're crooks. If everything were right, we'd be in jail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG OMG thank you soooooo much for your kind comments !!!! I love them soooooo much. 
> 
> I hope you will like this chapter, it is from Maes point of view.

Maes never liked alchemy, even before the war. 

What kind of science can only be done by only certain kind of people? What kinds of people learn how to bend their surroundings to their wishes and then sold it to the best price? Selfish people, that’s who. And you don’t want to give that kind of power to selfish people. 

Of course there is exception. Roy is a good example. Already at the academy he had been naïve enough to thought alchemist were for the folks ‘benefit. 

What a dork. 

For all war hadn’t change his kind heart, it had wiped down his naivety. 

Edward though… Edward was a mystery. He was probably the best alchemy practitioner Roy had ever met – he said so himself – and he acted like a bastard 2/3 of his awaken time. 

Except.

Except Maes was good at watching people – especially people he didn’t trust – and the boy held his card pretty close to his chest. He disappeared a lot too, missing entire meals sometimes and going back with a very tired and satisfied look. 

From Roy’s occasional comment on the boy’s behavior and the rumor mills that talked way too much about him, Maes would have thought Edward was going for a little extra fight with the Ishvalan during his night walk. 

However more than once Maes had saw him steal bread and easily transportable food items just before he disappeared. Why would someone who has free access to food would steal it and hide to eat it? No reason, unless it was destined to another person who wasn’t allowed food on the proximity.

Roy didn’t seem to have an opinion on the matter – which was a shame if you asked Maes, the man had a marvelous mind when he put himself to it – Riza was intrigued but had enough in her plate to investigate. It was naturally Maes job to do it. 

For all his brightness, Edward was terrible at making sure he wasn’t followed. He was however very good at hiding in the darkest spot of the city. It took Maes almost a week to succeed one of his little missions.

On a clear night, he tailed Edward to a small house with no light. He went in without hesitation and Maes didn’t wait to follow; he stayed close to the windows and heard the boy talk to one of the inhabitant. Maes could know really how much they were or what they said, since Edward was talking Ishvalan – and when did he found the time to learn it? What he was sure of was the tone of Edward words… very reassuring, soothing even. The kind of tone that was difficult to fake. 

Edward didn’t stay long, only a couple of minutes, and he didn’t leave alone; a kid –not older than 9- was dutifully following. They were very cautious and Maes almost lost them twice before Edward drew an array in the sand and opened a tunnel in the ground. 

Meas could see a small figure at its entrance, meaning Edward hadn’t dug the tunnel instantly, he only had revealed it. Edward entrusted the younger kid to the figure and with a negligent move of the hand, dismissed the array. Instantly the tunnel disappeared. 

A boy of many mysteries indeed.


	5. If anyone gets nosy, just, you know... shoot 'em.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG the title is perfect for an Hawkeye centric chapter... Gosh I love Firefly for it's perfect quotes.  
> Now If you really want to know I wish I could have title this :  
> "If anyone gets nosy, just, you know... shoot 'em."  
> "Shoot them?"  
> "Politely"

She had been stationed here for less than six month and she already knew this was going to haunt her for the rest of her life. 

Very few of her contingent would disagree with her. And none of them would dare to say it was because she was a woman. More than once her platoon's life has been in her hands and she never heard one of them complain about it. (At least no one alive)

She had quite a reputation, the Hawkeye they called her. It was ridiculous how her last name became a moniker, like it defined her, how she killed people. She never missed her target though, her eyes never failed her ; even through rock and wood she could predict her target's move. She always witnessed her victim death before she moved to another. She would describe herself as a practical person, she could not afford to feel guilt and shock; she could not afford to slow down her shots. However she felt like it was her duty to remember who she shot, whom she removed from the living. 

She didn't really formelly met Edward Elric. She heard the rumor really but never paid attention to them. A brainwash kid, without consideration for the living, would not look at the world with the kind of determination Edward had. She could believe the part about his lack of respect for his commanding officer though: she saw how tensed Edward was in the man's presence. 

She saw how rebelious Edward's stance was and how he was fighting every order ; how he looked disgusted by everything about him, every corpse he saw was like a personal affront. He often disappeared into the night and more than once she saw Maes follow him. She saw how Maes went from distrisful to curious, how he gauged him from afar. Maes was very good at reading people, better than Roy or she could ever been. He knew when something was off and when he had to stage an intervention. However he could be really lazy when it came to it. Roy was fascinated by Edward. She saw how he was wary and yet drawn to him, she didn't know if it was about the alchemy or if it was about another detail. It was almost funny how they gravitated around each other without ever meeting; oooh they did once or twice, but it was a quick and violent event, like a meteorite colliding with a planet. Both men were exausted, snippy and probably very suspicious of the other's behavior; not a good mix when you are trying to converse with a stranger. 

She waited for one of her friend to _finally_ do something about the situation, but as usual they were waiting. Whatever what they were waiting for. Tired of watching and waiting for them she decided to take matter in her own hand.

Edward never ate with the rest of his platoon, he barely spend time with them, even though he was technically their superior. Well, if the brass had been as efficient when telling him he was the equivalent of a Major than when they had tell Roy... Anyway.  
Beyond their firecamp she could see her two friends trying to discretly tell her to come back. It made her smile. 

"Mind if I seat?" she asked, coming near his campfire.

The blond glared at her but didn't refuse. 

They stayed silent for a while and Riza ate her gruel serenly. The night wasn't exactly silent, there was a distant thunder. She knew the sound like the bottom of her hand, it was a 7789 mortar shooting. Every night it was raining it's deadly canonbal to keep the ennemy from Ametrian's camps.

"You are with the Flame guy, right?" finally asked Edward, keeping Riza from her dark thoughts. 

"I am one of his subordinate" she confirmed.

"Hum" 

Edward stared at his empty bowl. 

"Sounds like a jerk to me" he stated. 

"Well I heard you are one as well"

It had the merit of surprising him even made him smile a bit. 

"Appearance can be decieving."

"So I see"

Once again Edward smiled. 

"I'm pretty sure my brother would love you" he said in jest. 

"How old is he?" she asked. 

Edward's face became gloomy.

"He will turn 16 in March."

It was a delicate topic and Riza could understand why. She would hate to have any member of her familly conscripted in this war, especially a sibling.

"Are you two close?"

"Yeah, kind of the only one who can stand me, except for our neighbohour, Winry."

She didn't ask about his parents, from his accent he was obviously from the Eastern area and most adult had enlisted early in this war. 

"Mind if we join you guys?" asked Maes from behind. 

Well they had take their sweet time, thought Riza. Edward tensed, especially when he saw Roy but once again nodded without a word. 

"I'm Maes Hughes, and this little raining cloud here is Roy Mustang, but you met already."

Maes was, as always, the most enthousiastic of the three. Riza could not understand where he found all his energy after the day they had had. 

"Pretty sure I saw him do one of his party trick at the local circus" said Edward in jest. However Riza could see how tensed he became, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

"That's rich coming from you" retorted Roy, already in bad mood from Maes little pun. "At least I am able to punch above my weight, matter manipulation is for amateur."

"No alchemy talk" warned Maes but it was useless, Edward had already rised at the challenge.

"Sure molecular distribution is kind of impressive, shame you are such a useless piece of human being without your gloves. Also nice design but unimaginative and boy! what a pain in the ass to do anything else with but a flame. Have you ever heard of diversity? "

Riza shook her head, at least they looked like they were having fun. She glanced at Maes and smiled at his bored face. 

"Uninmaginative? Are you kidding me? This is a piece of art. The results of years of work and studies. Your arrays are so basic a 6 years old could use them."

"Well I did learn them at 6 years old, you Bastard. And I would love to see how these 'years of work and studies' worked out for you. Can you do anything hat is not fire related?"

"I'm called the Flame Alchemist for a reason you midget!"

"What did you call me?"

She didn't hear the sizzling sound of the bullet but she saw its shadow. On instinct, she dodged and flatten her body on the ground. Most of the soldier around had done the same. Roy was putting on his gloves, his eye grave. He was about to stand but she stopped him with a hand on his shin. More than anyone she knew what damage an ambushed sniper could do. They had to wait for another shot, to see where it came from. With any luck, the first one hadn't touch anyone.

"I won't stay here like a sitting duck" mumbled Edward before jumping on lis legs. She tried to yell for him but he didn't listen, of course he didn't. 

Blue sparks were erupting everywhere as a barricade of sand was built around them. Edward crouched on one side of camp and draw so quickly an array on the sand it only took a second before a dozen flat towers surfaced from the ground.

"Oy! Useless Flame, why don't you brighten the scene a bit so we can see what's going on?" shouted Edward. 

Roy snaped automaticly and instantly a small ball of light was reflected on the perfectly crystaline surfaces. He had created mirrors out of sands. It was alsmot as clear as day, which was as much an advantage for them as it was for their ennemy. More bullet came, and Riza heard several moans from people getting shots but she also found were their assailant was. 

She shoot twice, both time hitting her target. It was a man, alone, it seemed; Ishvalan of course, even with the returned darkness she could see his brown skin. 

The calm returned and she saw from the corner of her eyes Maes standing to coordinate the injured soldier to the medic tent. She breathed out. 

"Quick draw" commented Edward, waching the riffle intensely. 

She raised her eyebrow and glanced at the three, no four arrays he had traced in the sand. Edward smirked, aware of his own performance. He never stopped watching the riffle. 

"Quick thinking" she retorted instead. 

They smirks at each other. 

It's just another day in this hellhole.


End file.
